Saracinesca eBook

“If this thing is true,” he said, “I
would advise you, Giovanni, to pay a visit to the
other side of the hills. It is time.”

Giovanni was silent for a moment. He was intensely
interested in the situation, but he could not tell
his father that he had promised Corona not to see
her, and he had not yet explained to himself her sudden
appearance so near Saracinesca.

“I think it would be better for you to go first,”
he said to his father. “But I am not at
all sure this story is true.”

“I? Oh, I will go when you please,”
returned the old man, with another laugh. He
was always ready for anything active.

But Gigi Secchi could not be found. He had returned
to Aquaviva at once, and it was not easy to send a
message. Two days later, however, Giovanni took
the trouble of going to the man’s home.
He was not altogether surprised when Gigi confirmed
Pasquale’s tale in every particular. Corona
had actually been at Saracinesca to find out if Giovanni
was there or not; and on hearing that he was at the
castle, she had fled precipitately. Giovanni
was naturally grave and of a melancholy temper; but
during the last few months he had been more than usually
taciturn, occupying himself with dogged obstinacy
in the construction of his aqueduct, visiting the
works in the day and spending hours in the evening
over the plans. He was waiting. He believed
that Corona cared for him, and he knew that he loved
her, but for the present he must wait patiently, both
for the sake of his promise and for the sake of a decent
respect of her widowhood. In order to wait he
felt the necessity of constant occupation, and to
that end he had set himself resolutely to work with
his father, whose ideal dream was to make Saracinesea
the most complete and prosperous community in that
part of the mountains.

“I think if you would go over,” he said,
at the end of a week, “it would be much better.
I do not want to intrude myself upon her at present,
and you could easily find out whether she would like
to see me. After all, she may have been merely
making an excursion for her amusement, and may have
chanced upon us by accident. I have often noticed
how suddenly one comes in view of the castle from
that bridle-path.”

“On the other hand,” returned the Prince
with a smile, “any one would tell her that the
path leads nowhere except to Saracinesca. But
I will go to-morrow,” he added. “I
will set your mind at rest in twenty-four hours.”

“Thank you,” said Giovanni.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Old Saracinesca kept his word, and on the following
morning, eight days after Corona’s excursion
upon the hills, he rode down to Astrardente, reaching
the palace at about mid-day. He sent in his card,
and stood waiting beneath the great gate, beating
the dust from his boots with his heavy whip.
His face looked darker than ever, from constant exposure
to the sun, and his close-cropped hair and short square
beard had turned even whiter than before in the last
six months, but his strong form was erect, and his
step firm and elastic. He was a remarkable old
man; many a boy of twenty might have envied his strength
and energetic vitality.